Refrain Boy
by SoraxRiku13
Summary: Riku has always done well to hide behind a mask but lately its been harder to do so now that Sora attends the same university. He can't control himself for much longer. University AU. SoRiku. YAOI. DON'T LIKE, DON'T READ.
1. Unease

**_Hi guys!_**

 ** _So I decided to discontinue my previous SoRiku story and completely rewrite it, with this being the result. I actually put a lot of effort into this and I'm hoping I can pull through and finish it. I won't tell you what inspired me. I'll only say that it's a song. You guys will have to guess which one ;)_**

 ** _This story will also introduce my OC, which I'll go into more detail later._**

 ** _Anyways, without further ado, please enjoy~_**

 ** _DISCLAIMER: All Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, and The World Ends With You characters do not belong to me._**

* * *

" _Hey, Riku! We're best friends, right?"_

" _Of course, you dummy!"_

" _Ah, alright."_

" _Why do you ask, Sora?"_

" _Mm, its nothing. Hey let's promise!"_

" _Promise what?"_

" _That we'll always be best friends, no matter what happens!"_

 _~.~_

I was rudely woken up from my nap by one of my classmates. His name was weird but he was adamant that we call him Beat. Apparently I slept through the entire midday lecture. I'm just glad our teacher wasn't very observant.

"Dude, I can't save your ass every time you fall asleep. Ya gotta start stayin' awake more often."

"Yeah, sorry about that. Thanks though.." I could see his face change to worry.

"Come on, man. You got that same worried look on your face again. If ya ever need someone to tell your problems to, my doors are wide open! I ain't gonna judge. Promise!" I gave him a smile.

"Thanks, Beat. I'll definitely take up the offer next time." Beat frowned slightly.

"If ya say so.. Well, I gotta run. My next class is starting soon! See ya!" I watched him as he ran, even witnessing him almost running over someone and apologizing fervently before running off again. Beat surely was a strange guy, but he was earnest about the things he deemed important.

I had an hour till my next class, one which I took advantage of to get myself something to eat and to practice with my guitar for just a bit, relieving whatever kind of stress I had. Its an hour I had planned all to myself, at least until I saw the figure of someone running in my direction.

"RIIIIIIKUUU!" I braced myself for impact, moving my guitar out of the way to keep it from harm. Sure enough, the amount of force behind the hug made me stumble, making the both of us fall. I was greeted with a wide smile.

"Sora, I told you to stop that..." We both slowly stood up, fixing our clothes and picking up our things from the floor.

"Yeah, I know. I just get excited when I see you that I forget." I just flicked his forehead, not bothering to even look at him. "Hey! What was that for?" I glanced only for a moment, long enough to see him pout.

"That's what you get for being a goof." I couldn't help but smirk, causing him to pout even more. _How cute._ "Come on, let's go." I resumed my walk to the small park nearby the university. Sora stood in place for a moment before realizing that he was being left behind.

"Where to?" He caught up to me before I even knew it, confidently striding beside me.

"The park. Gonna grab a quick bite to eat first though. I'm sure you didn't eat anything before leaving, right?" He nodded, just before his stomach growled. "Yep, you're in desperate need of food." We picked up the pace, arriving at the small food stand right next to the park's entrance.

After we decided on sandwiches for lunch, Sora followed me to my favorite spot in the park. It was a bench placed at the end of a small path that many people didn't transit, making it perfect for me to practice. "So this is where you disappear to after your midday class. No wonder I could never find you." We both sat down, putting our things to the side and unwrapping our sandwiches. "I always had to go find Roxas and I know I'm starting to annoy him…"

"Sora, you could literally just text me."

"I know that but its not the same!" He looked down to his sandwich, lowering his voice. "Besides, I don't really texting all that much…."

"You're always texting Kairi though." I could feel myself getting a little ticked off.

"That… That's different though!" _Ah, he's getting defensive. Knew it._

"Sora, stop lying to yourself for once." This wasn't good, I needed to be alone. I started putting away my lunch and grabbing my things.

"Wait, what are you doing?"

"I need to be alone right now." I left without saying another word. I didn't want him to see me hurt. I didn't want to explain. _I was running away again_. I needed to walk far enough so he couldn't find me. But I felt an anxiety attack about to start.

I somehow managed to hide from him. It was more like he didn't even attempt to look for me. I was relieved but it still hurt. I couldn't be at the campus anymore so I went to see my professor for the next class to inform him I was going home for the day. After that I just left.

My apartment wasn't far from the campus, fortunately. It was only a 15 minute walk to arrive. I got there quickly, only really needing to calm myself down. No distractions, no one to judge, I needed silence which my apartment provided. I just closed my eyes and breathed. I didn't notice when I had fallen asleep but when I opened my eyes, it was already dark.

Everything looked unfamiliar to me. I noticed I was sat against the wall, didn't even move an inch apparently, so when I tried to move to stand up, my body ached everywhere. I stayed in the same position a little longer, turning to see my things messily placed next to me, the only thing catching my eye was my guitar. I picked it up, starting to see everything around me be familiar to me again. _That's right, I'm home right now…_

I placed my guitar on my lap, looked at it, analyzed it. I felt its strings, its shape. It put me at ease. I played a few random notes and listened to them closely. I did that for another while, completely entranced until my phone rang. I searched for it and looked at who it was calling me.

 _Kairi_

She probably wanted to talk to me about what happened earlier with Sora. I honestly didn't want to answer but she was stubborn and would not stop calling until I picked up the phone. I decided to just answer and get it over with. "Hey, Kai."

" _What the hell did you do to Sora!?"_ I was right. _Dammit Sora. What the hell kind of relationship do you have with this girl?_

"I just needed time alone."

" _That's still not enough to make him call me so desperately!"_ I felt my anxiety trying to crawl out of my skin again.

"Look Kairi, I'm really not in the mo-"

" _No, you are not getting away from this so easily."_ I could feel myself start to shake. _"Sora was almost on the verge of tears when I spoke to him!"_ I stayed quiet. I didn't mean to make him get like this. Countless memories began flashing back so clearly, realities that I wish that I could just forget. _I lost control of my feelings again…_

"Kai… I just.. I just told him to stop lying to himself. That's it. Now good night."

" _Wai-"_ I hung up and turned off my phone. I couldn't stop the shaking, I thought I had this under control.

How easily it can be triggered.

I once again reached for my guitar and played a few notes on it, trying so hard to concentrate on nothing else.

Tonight was going to be a long one. _Well, I think I won't go to class tomorrow either._

What a fantastic way to start the week.

* * *

 _ **So there it is. The first chapter. It's short, I know, but I really wanted to get this out there already.**_

 _ **I may take my time with updating because I've been busy lately. Just a little warning.**_

 _ **Anyways, please leave a review! Contrsuctive critism is allowed! Please!**_


	2. Distraction

_**Hiiiii so I was able to finish this rather quickly. It's another short one, I know but I don't think I can actually do longer chapters without getting fatigued. Obviously, you can tell that I'm gonna be switching perspectives between Sora and Riku. Not really much else too say really lol**_

 _ **Anyways, please enjoy~**_

 _ **DISCLAIMER: All Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy and The World Ends With You do not belong to me. And neither do any real life references either, like anime or video games or music.**_

* * *

 _Sora_

I don't know what was happening. One moment, Riku and I were ok and the next he was walking off with a hurt face. Apparently I said something to pissed him off but I had no idea what. And what he said too…

' _Stop lying to yourself.'_

"I don't understand… Dammit, Riku, I don't understand why…." I started feeling my cheeks getting wet. I realized I had begun to cry. I was at least glad it was evening and I was at my cheap apartment, curled up into a ball under my covers.

Not knowing what do, I took out my phone and called the only person that could help me. _"Hello?"_

"K-Kai…." I didn't want to alarm her but my voice was shakey and desperate.

" _Sora? What's wrong? Why do you sound like you're about to cry?"_ I tried my best to wipe my tears and compose myself before answering.

"I… I think I made Riku mad…." I really couldn't stop my tears. My heart hurt. It hurt too much. _'Stop lying to yourself.'_ I couldn't get those words out of my head. Seconds of silence passed before I heard beeping from my phone. The call had ended but Kairi sent me a message.

- _I'm calling Riku right now.-_ The girl who was known for her expressive messages and texts wasn't here now. She was angry.

 _-Kai, don't... please…-_ I didn't receive a text back. I waiting for a bit, deciding whether or not to eat something. I wasn't very hungry, in all honesty, but I knew I had to eat. I settled for some leftover pizza I had and crawled back into my bed. I needed to distract myself.

In the end, I settled for rewatching Mob Psycho 100. It helped ease my mind. I connected my phone to the charger and left it far from me. I didn't want it near me. Unfortunately, I binge watched all of it and by the time I finished it was 3 in the morning. I went to check my phone, only to see quite a few texts that Kairi had sent me. It was too late to even think about anything. _I'll answer them when I wake up…_

I turned off my phone and dove straight into my covers, wrapping myself so much that I felt like a burrito but it was comfortable and I was really tired.

~•~

I didn't notice my alarm go off until it was already afternoon. _I… skipped class today… what the hell._ I stared the my ceiling, contemplating to just stay in bed for the rest of the day. I suddenly remembered all the texts Kairi sent me the night before.

I waited anxiously as I was turning it on, expecting a flood of more texts to be received.

Nothing. Not even a call. "Huh? That's weird…" I looked through all the other messages.

- _He kinda told me what happened then hung up on me. That asshole. D:_

 _Oi, why aren't you answering?_

 _SORA DAMMIT. ANSWER ME._

 _SORA._

 _SOOOOOORRRRRAAAAAAAAA_

 _:(_

… _. I'm gonna show up at your place tomorrow. Expect company for the day.-_

"Oh no…" I turned to look at my clock. The ride from Radiant Garden to Twilight Town took around 4 hours. _She'll be here soon!_ I quickly cleaned up my mess and took a quick shower. I had barely gotten out when I heard a knock on my door. Trying to look presentable, I rushed to the door.

"Kai.." She smiled but for some reason it kinda scared me. "C-come in.." I moved aside, letting her in and closed the door behind her. She made herself comfortable in the small living room. After I offered her a drink, I sat down next to her, waiting.

"So, what happened last night? Why wouldn't you answer?" I felt like a kid in trouble.

"I was watching anime and by the time I remembered about my phone, it was already too late…." Kairi stared at me, leaving her drink aside before starting to go into a fit of laughter. She finally calmed down, wiping away tears from laughing so hard.

"Of course you would do that. I'm glad you're feeling a little better though." She smiled except this time it was more genuine than earlier.

"So… what happened last night when you called Riku…?"

"He got mad, obviously. Kinda told me what he told you but he didn't tell me why. He hung up on me. Didn't you read my text?"

"I… don't remember." I saw her sigh and took another sip from her drink.

"You know... I'm curious now. Did you ever tell him about us?" She looked at me intensely, waiting for my answer. I just shook my head softly and looked down. "What, why?!"

"I.. I don't know.. Never found the time to tell him." Kairi smacked me. "OW! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!"

"That's was because you're an idiot! Riku probably thinks you still like me!" Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. _She has a point. Maybe that's why he said that. I'm-_

"… so stupid..." I had to fix this soon.

"Sor, you should take a break from this, ease your mind."

"And go where? I can't go home. Mom and Dad will worry and I don't want that."

"Come back with me to Radiant Garden. Talk with Vani. I know how close you two are." I contemplated the idea. During a time like this, Vanitas really does pull through in his role as a big brother. _Perhaps it is something I need._

"Ok. I'll go. Could you help me pack?"

"Of course!" We packed up a few of my things in the only suitcase I owned. We almost left my place before remembering about my 3DS. _I need this for the way there._

~•~

The train to Radiant Garden was kind of full but everyone minded their own business, thankfully. I had my earphones in and focused on my 3DS in front of me for a while. Halfway through, Kairi fell asleep while resting her head on my shoulder.

I was glad our previous relationship didn't really strain our friendship all that much. We were still comfortable around each other just like we were before.

I ended up falling asleep right after she did, resting my head on top of hers. I felt calm and happy. It was this exact the moment where I felt very very lucky to have a friend like her.

I was really looking forward to my sudden, and very well needed, trip.

* * *

 _ **Well, there ya have it. I'm glad people are liking this story so far lol**_

 _ **Thank you so much to the people who reviewed chapter one. I really really appreciated them. Helped me feel better about the first chapter and helped me decide to actually continue this as well.**_

 _ **So please read and review and leave any ideas to help make this an even better and enjoyable story to read.**_

 _ **Thank you**_


	3. Vanished

**_HIIII! ANOTHER UPDATE SO SOON? WHAT? I'm very very inspired and I just love how this story is turning out~ Anyways, enjoy~_**

 ** _DISCLAIMER: All Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, and The World Ends With You content do not belong to me._**

* * *

 _Riku_

I couldn't get any sleep that night. Every time I closed my eyes, nightmares just appeared. Memories that disguised themselves as such.

I sat nearby the open window beside my bed, looking at the early morning sky. The cool breeze felt nice, contrasting my burning skin. It was soothing. I saw as the sun began to rise, listened to the birds beginning to wake up. This was one of the advantages to a sleepless night, the opportunity to enjoy these pleasant mornings to forget my demons.

I stayed that way for a while until I started seeing people and cars start to appear in the streets. I saw several students start heading to the university, some of which I recognized. I moved away from the window, not wanting to be recognized by any of them. Truth be told, no one actually knew where I lived, not even Sora.

I had already decided that I was going to skip my classes for the day, giving me even more time to myself. "Alright, first thing's first. I need to shower."

I took a fairly quick shower, feeling refreshed when I got out. It was taking me a while to decide how to spend my day until my stomach rumbled. _Should I cook myself something or just go out and eat?_ I couldn't stay in my apartment forever or else it was just going to make me feel the opposite of how I want to feel.

I started getting ready to go outside. I just threw on a black short-sleeved v-neck and my baggy jeans. I wasn't impressing anyone anyways. I grabbed my dark gray hoodie just in case.

Grabbing my keys and my wallet, I left my apartment and went straight to the only good place I knew. A small diner that was only a thirty minute walk from my place.

I was glad it was still morning because the streets weren't as crowded as they were in the afternoon but they weren't completely dead too. You could occasionally see someone shopping at any small shop and enjoying their own time alone.

This was a hobby of mine, going out for long walks and taking in the scenery around me. It was something I've done since high school, since I realized my feelings toward Sora and not just that, my sexuality as well.

I remember what I did back then, the first time I came to this place, to Twilight Town. I was in awe as soon as I arrived since it was very different to the Islands and to Palumpolum. It always gave off this sort of calm feeling, I always felt at home here. It's where I also met Hayner, Pence, and Olette, the three people who helped me snap out of the negative thoughts that I've been harboring for months before.

Twilight Town held a very special place in my heart. It was probably why I decided to enroll in the university here. Everyone else wanted or had already gone to Radiant Garden, with the exception of Roxas, but not Sora. It made me wonder what his reason was. It surely wasn't because he was close to Roxas. He was actually closer to Vanitas than anyone else. Kairi went to Radiant Garden. Naturally, he should've gone there too but he didn't.

I was thinking about Sora again.

"I just can't seem to stop thinking about you.." I chuckled bitterly. All these thoughts and feelings were starting to get complicated again, making me start to feel lost below this sky. I looked up and finally saw the diner I was headed to.

I went in, not expecting the diner to be kind of empty with the exception of a few people here and there.

"Ah! Riku!"

"Shiki?" I turned and saw her smiling at me with a menu in her hand and wearing a waitress uniform. "Since when have you been working here?"

"Since recently. Now no more chit chat unless you don't want to eat~" She grinned at me and I nodded at her. She sat me at a booth nearby the window and far from the other people in here. "Here you go!" She placed the menu right in front of me and left before I could even say anything.

I already knew what I was going to get but at least I could spend more time away from school like this. "Sooooo what'll it be today?" Shiki disrupted my thoughts and surprised me. She just kept smiling at me.

"Black coffee and some blueberry pancakes. It's a slow morning today, huh?"

"Oh yeah, lunch is when it gets much busier during the week days. I thought you had classes today though? Beat's gonna worry about you for the entire day."

"Tell him I just needed time alone. He'll see me tomorrow anyways." Shiki laughed and nodded, taking my menu and left. _Yeah, I'll go tomorrow and I probably should apologize to Sora. I have to._

I finished and paid, saying bye to Shiki as I left. I saw a familiar person with orange hair and headphones walk in. I looked back inside to see Shiki smile brightly at him. _Ah, so it is true. Interesting. They look good together._ _I wonder-_ _No. Stop. Stupid brain._

I wasn't going to my place anytime soon so I decided to go on the train to Sunset Terrace. As soon as I got there, I took all the time I wanted. I walked towards the fountain and looked at the view. This part of town wasn't really that popular for some reason, even though it had the best view of the entire place.

I walked farther ahead, heading towards the hill where I spent the rest of the day. As dusk began to fall, more people appeared. _Ah, of course now is when everyone appears._ The sunset was beautiful, especially this time of year so I couldn't really blame them. _I can't continue like this. I have to make things right. For him. But mainly, for me._

~•~

Sure enough, Beat was already asking me if I was ok as soon as he entered class because I had "disappeared".

"Riku, man! You looked so depressed Monday! I thought you'd gone and done something to yourself!"

"Beat, I'm not suicidal." He laughed and put his hand on my shoulder reassuringly.

It was lunch again and I went looking for Sora. I was expecting him to come up to me and tackle me again just because it was something he would always do.

I missed him.

I really missed him.

I couldn't find him so I decided just to call him. _Ring. Ring. Ring. Rin-_ _The person you are trying to reach is not available at this mo-_ I felt like I had really fucked up in that moment. I didn't know if Sora didn't want to answer or if something had happened. All the despair was repeating in my mind, again and again. I called Olette.

" _Hello?"_

"Have you seen Sora? I'm trying to look for him but I can't find him and he won't answer my calls."

" _Wow, not even a 'Hi, how are you?' but anyways. Sora's spending this week at Radiant Garden with Kai. I thought he told you?" ….What?_

"It's… It's the first time I hear of this…."

" _Riku…. Did something happen between you and Sora…?"_

"I fucked up. I really fucked up. Shit."

" _Then go over there and fix it!"_

"Thank you for telling me." To be honest I didn't hear what she said and hung up as quickly as humanly possible. I felt another attack coming and I needed someone to help me through this. I made another call to the one person I knew that could help.

" _Hello?"_

"Namine."

* * *

 _ **HAHAHA CLIFFHANGER. So I just realized the Riku I'm portraying is very contemplative. Personally, I like it but idk about you guys.**_

 _ **I'm so happy for those who reviewed this story so far! Thank you guys! I really do appreciate it :)**_

 _ **So please review this chapter as well. I do enjoy constructive criticism. Helps me make this even better :)**_


	4. Visit

Chapter 4

 _Sora_

It was barely nightfall when we finally arrived at Radiant Garden. Kairi was the one to wake me up and told me that our ride was already here waiting for us. We got our things and tried to quickly make our way out of the train. I looked around to see who our ride was and sure enough he was there.

Axel stood out like a sore thumb but I was more surprised to find Rayne standing next to him. Kairi ran past me and nearly tackled Rayne to the floor. I could see the fright in the poor girl's eyes for just a split second. They stayed like that for far longer than expected, Kairi even nuzzling against Rayne. It was starting to get a little awkward.

"OK. Enough of that. Jeez, you're making the kid blush." Axel pointed at me and I pouted but I was glad he stepped in and stopped them. "Lets just go home. You girls can continue whatever you were doing now _in private._ " Rayne turned bright red and tried to hide behind her bangs but Kairi just smiled as they let go of each other.

"Yeah yeah, I think you're just jealous that you've got nothing going on in your romantic life." Kairi stuck out her tongue at Axel, making him do the same. They started bickering much like they did when we were younger. It was amusing to see, even more so when Rayne started giggling at the sight of them.

It appeared like Axel had won the friendly argument, which made zero sense to me, because I saw Kairi pout but then she grabbed Rayne's hand, pulling her close and then surprised her with a kiss.

 _Wait… Wait a minute…_

"WHAT?!" The three looked at me. Axel smirked, Rayne was embarrassed and Kairi grinned. "Since when?! And why didn't I know about it?!"

"Well its not like we were hiding anything. Though it's been definitely official for like what," She turned to Rayne, "Five months?" Rayne nodded. "Sor, I'll give you details later. Anyways, I'm tired and I want to go home now."

The drive to Kairi's apartment took about twenty minutes, twenty minutes that seemed like an eternity to pass. I was thinking about Kairi and Rayne and their relationship which made me start thinking about Riku. Ironic though, because the whole point of this little vacation was to get my mind off him. I thought of the possibility of us being like them, of us not being so complicated. _I need to go see Vanitas soon or else I won't be able to relax while I'm here._

The first thing I did when we entered her apartment was fall on her sofa and try to sleep. I didn't even bother changing. I think I also heard Kairi say something but I drifted off to sleep. The ride to get here was cramped and tiring. I think I deserved to rest.

~•~

I woke up to the smell of coffee. I opened one eye to look at who was in the kitchen. Kairi was there, cooking breakfast and while waiting for the coffee to bee ready. I didn't feel like getting up so I just curled up under the blanket that someone had placed over me.

"Nuh uh. I know you're awake Sora." _Dammit._ I groaned as I attempted to sit up and stretch. I wondered how long I could stay like that before getting yelled at. "Get off your butt and come help me here!" _That didn't take too long…_

"What do you want me to do?"

"Could you help me cut strawberries?" It seemed like she wanted to make pancakes and use the fruit as decoration, mainly because she was practicing for her class. She had the strawberries placed to the side, ready for her to just start preparing them.

As I was cutting the strawberries, Kairi made sure everything else was ok. She looked very concentrated in what she was doing but I could tell she was having fun. "So what are you making?"

"Pancakes, dummy. Can't you tell?"

"O-oh, yeah! Yeah, I could!"

"Liar."

"A-anyways, you and Ray, huh? I never saw that coming."

"That's because you're so dense about things."

"Am not!"

"….. Do you even remember how we got together?" I nodded slightly. "Remember that I was the one who confessed first?" I nodded again. "You are dense."

"…fine…" I pouted and focused on the strawberries. I started hearing footsteps from the corridor and turned to see Rayne appear.

"Morning sleeping beauty~" Rayne blushed slightly and walked into the kitchen.

"You're making pancakes?"

"Yup!" Kairi grinned and continued with what she was doing. I had to admit, she looked much more happier than when I was with her. It made me felt bad because all I did was worry about Riku and I kind of neglected her. _I'm a terrible person for having her go through that…_

After finishing our pancakes and finally settling in for the week, Kairi went up to me.

"So, do you wanna go see Vani right now or later?"

"Now. I need to talk to him soon or else I'll be uneasy the entire time here." Kairi nodded, as if she expected that answer.

"Yeah, I thought so. Me and Ray actually had plans for today. Want me to call Axel to pick you up?"

"Sounds good. I may actually go visit Ven while I'm here. I need to spend more time with my other brothers or else Mom and Dad will scold me."

"Oh! Now that you mentioned Ven, did you know that Namine is coming to uni here too? And she's gonna be living with Ven?"

"What?!"

"Yeah, apparently it was a mutual decision. Who'd have known."

"That little sneak. Damn. They've got some guts to go through with that. But wait… are they gonna share a room?" Kairi just burst out laughing.

"Oh my god, Sora! I don't think either of them would be able to handle that! They're too innocent and awkward!" She turned to look at me, trying to stop laughing. "Ven has a two bedroom apartment!"

"I didn't know! I rarely ever see him! And apparently they're not awkward enough if they're gonna live together. But anyways, congrats on them. They seem very good for each other." Kairi nodded in response.

The doorbell rang, startling me. Kairi just went straight to the door to open it.

"Ah, you're here fast." It was Axel. _But I didn't see Kairi call him? What?_

"I hope you give me gas money 'cause all this traveling around and being a chauffeur isn't cheap. Couldn't you have taken him yourself anyways?"

"Nope! Ray and I have plans like… right now." Rayne appeared in the living room, ready for whatever they were going to do. "Here's the keys, Sora. Please don't forget to lock up when you leave." She tossed her keys to me and I barely missed them. When I turned to look up, they were already gone.

"So, ready to go?" Axel was standing my the door, ready to get out of his sister's apartment.

"Yeah, pretty much. Let's just go. I want to see Vani as soon as possible."

"Alright! Let's get outta here 'cause it kinda gives me the creeps. Don't like remembering how it was to live with Kai." He shuddered. "Though, I must admit finding her eyeliner was a win." I laughed thinking of how he probably found it. Both he and Vani would use eyeliner like there was no tomorrow. Vani stopped though, but not Axel. It actually suited him more.

We were on our way to their place when Axel's phone started ringing. He pulled over to see who it was and answered it.

"Yo, Roxie! What's up?" I could barely hear what the other was saying over the phone.

" _Have you seen my brother?"_

"I see your brother everyday. I do live with him."

" _Not that one, you jerk! I meant Sora."_

"He's here right next to me. Why?"

" _Why the hell is he over there?! Ugh anyways, there's something I wanted to ask but I guess it can wait. Thanks Ax."_

"No problemo. Hey, call ya later?" I noticed a slight pause before Roxas answered and Axel then hung up. "You didn't even tell Roxas that you came here?"

"No. This… was kinda last minute. I didn't get a chance to tell anyone…" Axel hummed in response and the rest of the way to Vani's place remained quiet.

I wasn't expecting the first person to see as soon as I entered their place to be Scarlet. She looked very comfortable on the sofa, watching something on tv.

"Sc-Scarlet?" She looked at me and smiled slightly.

"Hey Sora. Long time no see."

"Hey, Scar. We got ourselves a guest as you've already noticed. Where's Vanitas?"

"His room, as always. I'll go get him."

"Scar, don't do anything that could put Sora in an awkward situation. Like, you know, what you did last summer at the Islands and poor little Raindrop saw." She jabbed him on his side and Axel crippled down to the floor. "Ow, woman, you're too strong for your own good."

"I told you never to mention that. You deserved it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go get Vanitas." She disappeared into the room.

"Axel, what happened last summer?"

"Heh, that's not something I'm allowed to say." I pouted. "Hey now, don't do that. If I told you, Scar would probably kill me." I didn't really doubt it. That woman terrified me because I could never tell what she was thinking. She could literally throw you down in an instant and you'd never see it coming. Vanitas was probably the only one that came close to her.

"Sora!" I didn't see Vanitas run towards me until it was too late. I was now caught in a bear hug, the kind of hug that he only gives out to me.

"V-Vani, you're hugging me too tight. Can't. Breathe." He quickly let go.

"So, why are you here? Wait, lemme guess. It's something to do with Riku, isn't it?" I nodded.

"C-could we talk about this _alone_ …?"

"Why? Everyone knows about your little crush on Riku." Scarlet cleared her throat and they both gave each other a look. "Well, your big crush on Riku."

I got flustered. _Am I really that obvious?_

"Yes, you are." I jumped when Vanitas answered my thoughts. "You were thinking if you were that obvious, weren't you?"

"Yeah… but I guess I'm not obvious enough to Riku. He.. he probably still thinks I like Kairi."

"How the hell can he think that if…" Realization was apparent on everyone's face.

Scarlet came up to me and smacked me softly. "You."

It was Axel's turn. "Are."

Vanitas simply flicked my forehead. "An."

"Idiot." They all said in unison.

"Why haven't you told him about you and Kairi?!"

"Cuz I didn't think I needed to!"

"You better tell him soon then!"

"I will!" I glared at Vanitas and he glared back. Scarlet intervened our _glaring_ contest.

"So, what happened that made you decide to come to the lovely Radiant Garden?"

"Riku got mad at me for some reason I don't know… told me to stop lying to myself but I don't know what he meant…"

"I think it all ties with what happened in high school and what he's probably thinking about you and Kai right now. Come to think of it, he never told anyone why he ran away, did he?" We all shook our head.

"Look, Sora, you need to clear things up with Riku. I know I'm probably the last person who should say this since I was the one who pushed Kairi to confess to you but… things are different now." I noticed a small frown on Scarlet's face but it was gone quickly.

"Yeah… I will as soon as I get back." Vanitas squinted his eyes at me.

"How long you staying for?" I started fidgeting, trying to avoid giving an answer. "Sora. Come on."

"One week…." Silence fell for only a brief moment. I closed my eyes, expecting to be yelled at or scolded, instead I felt someone ruffle my hair.

"Sounds good. Knowing Riku, he probably needs space to calm down. At least we can have much needed bro time!" Vanitas cackled, only to be hit by Scarlet. "Hey! Save that for the bedroom!" I saw Scarlet turn bright red. _Goodbye Vani. It was nice knowing you._ Sure enough, Scarlet slapped him, hard enough to have the impact echo in the room, and left to her room. "So worth it." The mark on his cheek was very prominent.

"Jeez, dude. I swear you're such a masochist." Axel sat down on the sofa where Scarlet was previously sitting and stretched out on it. "Little dude, did you have any other plans for today?" It took me a while to figure out he was talking to me.

"Uh, well, I kinda wanted to go see Ven since, you know, I rarely see other talk to him."

"Oh, did you hear the news?" Vanitas interrupted.

"That Namine is moving in with him?" He nodded.

"That's the one. He's got quite a pair on him to go through with this." He smiled softly. "Jeez, you guys are growing up too fast. Couldn't you have stayed as kids?" Smiling sadly, he turned to me. "So, wanna go now or what?"

"I just wanna pay him a visit. I don't plan on staying too long. I could come back here and we could play video games or something."

"Heh, sounds good. Axel can you take him please?"

"Will I get paid for it?"

"Just do it dammit. I got something I gotta finish right now."

"Oh my god, fine. I'll bill ya later."

"Oh shut the fuck up and go." Vanitas stood up and left to his room but before closing the door, he said one last thing. "I'm not paying that bill."

"Well fuck. Here I thought he was actually gonna play along. So, quick visit to Ven's then." He groaned as he stood up and started walking to the door.

A few minutes later, we arrived to Ven's apartment complex. I started heading towards it but noticed that Axel stayed in his car. I went up to his window.

"You're not coming?"

"Nah, I'm just gonna wait here. Go. And please make it quick. I desperately want to be home right now." I left him alone, turning back only once to see him light up a cigarette. _I wonder why he's acting strange._

I rang the intercom once, waited for a bit, then rang it again. _Third time's the charm._ Sure enough, there was an answer by the third ring.

" _Who is it?"_ He sounded groggy.

"It's me, Sora."

" _Sora? Why are you here?"_

"Came to visit. Can you let me in?"

" _Oh, yeah. Sorry about that."_ The doors finally opened. His apartment was on the fifth floor if I remembered correctly. _513\. Here it is._ I knocked and it was quickly opened. Ven was standing there, wearing a plain baby blue t-shirt and cargo shorts.

"Hey there."

"Sora!" He hugged me tightly. "It's been so long since we've last seen each other. Come in, make yourself at home." I walked in. The place itself was very simple and bright. Ven wasn't the extravagant type after all. "Want something to drink?"

"Nah, I'm fine."

"Oh, ok. So what brings you here?"

"Just wanted to visit."

"Really? In the middle of the week? You sure about that?"

"Well I just needed to get my mind off things. Decided to come say hi while I was in town."

"It's about Riku, isn't it?" _Oh my god, I swear._ "Yeah, it is. What happened?" I told him what had happened two days ago. He listened intently and told me the same thing everyone's has been telling me to do.

"Enough about me. I heard something very interesting today." I saw him straighten up a bit. "Apparently Namine's moving in?" I tried not to smile but I couldn't help it.

"….Yeah, she is." He was stiff and nervous. I decided to poke fun at him.

"You and her then. Who knew you had it in you."

"Sh-shut it."

"Better not try anything while you two are alone.."

"It's not like that! I'd never lay a finger on her!"

"Good, cuz if you do, there's nothing I can do to stop Riku. You know how protective he is of her."

"I know! There's no need to remind me!" I laughed but he was still nervous.

"Don't be so nervous Ven. You know I'm only teasing. Besides, you have my full approval! Well, mine and Vani's."

"The heck? I mean I understand Vanitas but you? Last I checked, I'm older than you!"

"Doesn't matter!" We kept teasing each other and just having a good time until I got a text from Axel telling me if everything was ok. I didn't notice time pass by so quickly so I finally said bye to Ventus and left.

The car ride back to Vani's place was quiet except for the radio that was playing. I was thinking though, thinking about this little break I was having and how carefree I felt while being here.

I think this was a good idea.

No, I know it was.


	5. Familiarity

_**And after a million years since the last update, heres the new one. I took too long to finish this**_

 _ **Anyways, enjoy!**_

 _ **DISCLAIMER: Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, and The World Ends With You content do not belong to me. Same goes for Rayne.**_

* * *

 _Riku_

I can't believe I ran out on class again. This was like high school all over again except now I was going to Palumpolum instead of leaving it and I had good reason to. I needed to see Namine, I needed to talk to someone about what was happening instead of keeping get it all in. Last time I did, I ended up hurting her the most.

I was in the middle of a train ride to my hometown with anything I just couldn't leave without. My fingers grazed my guitar case, making me think back to the first time I saw one. I was eight, just recently back in Palumpolum from the Islands. My parents were too busy to properly care of me so they left me with my aunt. I started learning how to play one as a hobby, just because I loved music and the guitar was the coolest one in my mind. It wasn't until later that it became a sort of therapeutic thing to do. It was what saved me back then.

It was already past midnight when I finally saw the lights of Palumpolum. I felt bad making this last minute trip but Namine was adamant that I go that same day. I really didn't want to worry or inconvenience Aunt Serah but I had to do this. I was starting to get my things ready when I saw a flash of red hair in the neighboring train car. _It can't be Axel, can it?_ I looked at the figure intently, trying to see if it was him. _Nah, it can't be him, he's way older and the hair's differently styled too. Wait, maybe it's Reno? But what's he doing here?_

I was startled when the conductor had made the announcement that we finally arrived at the station. I lost sight of him. I gathered my things and made my way out. The chilly air outside caught me by surprise since I was only wearing a thin sweater. I had gotten too used to the warmer weather of Twilight Town.

"Riku!" I saw my aunt waving her hand and calling out my name. Finding her wasn't too hard since there wasn't much people at the station this time of night. She was wearing a small coat and a scarf.

I stood in front of her, noticing that she looked much smaller than I remembered. She gave me a warm smile though, something that never changed no matter how many years have passed. She gave me a welcoming hug.

"Hey, Aunt Serah."

"It's good to see you Riku. Come on, Naminé is probably wide awake right now waiting for you to get home even though I told her to get some rest."

The ride to my old home was a nostalgic one. Aunt Serah filled it with plenty of small talk. It wasn't long until we finally reached the house and sure enough, Naminé's light was still on.

The first thing I did was go straight to her room only to find her asleep on her bed. It was obvious she was waiting for me. She didn't even change into her pajamas.

"Jeez, now I feel bad for making you wait…" I whispered to myself but then I noticed her begin to stir from her sleep. _Oh no_.

"Riku…?" She slightly opened her eyes.

"Shhh go back to sleep." I leaned down to give her a kiss on her temple. "We'll talk tomorrow." I picked her up slightly to move the covers out from under her and then tucked her in. I turned off her light on my way out and closed her door.

"You two are so cute. It's a shame she's not your actual sister." Aunt Serah was waiting outside my old room.

"Whether she is or not, we're still family. She's the closest I can get to a little sister." I truly believed that. We were cousins who grew up together. She was too sweet and shy for her own good. I felt like I needed to be there for her and protect her. I want to keep what little family I had close to me, even if I screw up all the time. "I love the both of you. I really do." Aunt Serah looked like she was about to cry.

"O-ok well its late now. Get some rest sweetie. Good night~" She walked off into the kitchen and stayed there. I turned on the light to my room. It was exactly how I left it when I moved to Twilight Town. I could tell Aunt Serah kept it clean.

I flopped on my bed, exhausted from 8 hours of travel. I didn't plan how long I was going to stay but I sure as hell didn't want to be at school right now. Much less after finding out Sora and Kairi left together to Radiant Garden.

That broke me.

For some reason that really broke me.

Yet it was my fault.

It was my fault that he probably already started dating Kairi. It was my fault that I made him, _pushed him_ , into such a decision.

It is my fault that I was feeling this way.

 _I need to stop thinking about this._ That's the whole point of coming here. That's why Naminé suggested I get here as soon as possible, to get my mind off everything that was happening and to get it off my chest.

 _Tomorrow. I'll definitely talk about it with Nams tomorrow._

Sleep quickly found its way to me.

 _8:37AM_

I stared at my alarm clock the next morning, groaning internally as I listened to the voices in the living room. I could hear at least three of them but I couldn't distinguish who they belonged to. I got up and noticed I was shirtless. I remembered that it was a habit of mine to remove my shirt while I was asleep, a habit that I had stopped doing until today. It always happened when I was here which always surprised me, and it wasn't just that one habit, it was all these other small ones as well.

I was home, with family.

I was comfortable here.

Maybe that's why.

I found my shirt lying at the end of my bed. I grabbed and put it on quickly, then I looked at myself in the mirror I had hung on the wall and fixed my bed hair before heading outside of my room. I opened the door and the voices became so much clearer. Mom and dad were here for some reason. _Shit, I didn't want this!_

Mom was seriously going to scold me for ditching school. _AGAIN._

I stood right in front of my room, frozen. I didn't know what to do. The urge to turn and hide in my room was strong, but then, I felt a soft hand grab my own and squeeze it.

It was Naminé.

I looked at her. I saw her clear blue eyes and knew that she sensed my troubled mind. She smiled at me gently, a smile she inherited from her mother and it calmed me.

"You can't hide forever. You've got to say hi to them. You haven't seen each other in a very long time. They both miss you, you know." She gave me the necessary push to make up my mind. Finally letting go of my hand, Naminé stayed behind as I walked into the living room. I looked back, only slightly, and saw her motioning me to keep going.

"Ah! Riku! You're awake!"

"G-good morning…" I looked at my parents and smiled awkwardly. Mom kept her usual stoic look, one that she so gracefully passed down to me, while Dad looked like he was about to cry.

"Riku!" The first to hug me was Dad, who hasn't properly seen me since I was in elementary school mainly because he was always so busy with work. He would call occasionally and check how I was doing but I would never see him, not even on holidays. He let go of me and smiled at me with tears in his eyes. "You've grown so much… I'm really sorry I wasn't there as much as I should have been…"

"It's fine, Dad." I couldn't help but smile sadly at him. I could tell he regrets sacrificing his time with me for work.

"You know, you should be at school right now." Mom spoke up. What happened next, I did not expect. She gave me a strong hug and, when she let go, I saw her give me a slight smile. I've seen Mom more than Dad, especially since she was the one to find me back in high school but even then, I still rarely saw her.

I looked at both my parents and realized that Naminé was right. I needed this. I needed to see my parents. I really had missed them so much. I started feeling wetness on my cheeks. These were tears I couldn't hold back any longer.

I stood there, wiping my never-ending tears as Dad hugged me again. I caught a glimpse of Naminé walking next to Aunt Serah, smiling sweetly. _What will I do without her?_ Unfortunately, our little family reunion was cut short when Dad received a call from his work.

"Ah, I'm sorry for this!" He hung up and put away his phone. "Dammit, I wanted to spend more time with my son…" He came up to me and gave me one last hug and left. Mom sat down on the couch as if she were waiting for something. I looked at her and felt a chill go down my back. _She wants an explanation._

"Ma, I just… needed time away from all the stress at school." She stared at me, knowing full well that there was more than just that. She sighed before she responded.

"Well, whatever it is, I'm just glad you didn't disappear like last time. But you can't keep doing this every time you're stressed."

"Actually…" Naminé butted into the conversation. "It was my idea…"

"Besides, I don't necessarily think it was a bad idea. It's not like he's dropping out. Hope didn't seemed to bothered by it either, so what's the problem?"

"I just don't want him to get behind on his studies. You shouldn't be too easy on them Serah. Anyways, I wanted to talk to you in private. That's why I paid a visit." That was our clue to leave.

Thinking that it would be better to actually leave the house, I turned to Naminé. "How bout we go out for a while until our moms are done talking?"

"Ah, hm, that sounds like a good idea. Let me get my sketchbook!"

"And I'll go put on something that isn't my pajamas." Naminé giggled and skipped away into her room. I rushed into mine, quickly taking out a pair of jeans and a dark grey shirt with a faded Guns N Roses logo on it from my backpack. I closed my door and quickly changed.

By the time Naminé and I were ready, Mom and Aunt Serah had unexpectedly left. I noticed a note on the table from my aunt. _'We headed out so make sure you lock up! Don't know how long we'll be out so stay safe you two! -Mom'_ There was no point to go out then but Naminé and I were already ready to leave.

I saw Naminé already waiting for me at the front door. I hurriedly walked out of the house and she locked the door behind me. "So, where to?"

"Want to get something to eat? We didn't really get a chance to have breakfast." To be honest, I was starving. I hadn't eaten since yesterday's lunch and I was starting to feel a little woozy.

"That sounds great! There's actually a small café that just opened nearby the high school. I've been wanting to try it out." I saw her hold her sketchbook close to her chest and smile shyly. "I missed spending time with you like this…"

"Yeah… Me too." We remained quiet as we walked, enjoying each other's company. It wasn't long until we finally saw our old high school. It brought back a lot of memories, some of which I didn't want to remember anymore. The café was in the corner of the street and it actually very was pleasing to look at. There wasn't many people currently inside but I could tell that it was worth coming here as soon as we entered it. The rich smell of coffee and freshly made bread was very strong and pleasant while the warmth and coziness this place gave off was something I very rarely felt anywhere else. It actually reminded me a bit of Twilight Town.

Naminé and I waited in line, deciding what we were going to get and I offered to pay. She left my side to save us a table and waited patiently. After I paid, I noticed she began to draw on her sketchbook as I walked towards her. I didn't disturb her and waited for our orders to be called.

I finally heard my name and I went to get our coffees and decided to wait for our food too. It was then when I noticed two guys walk into the café that seemed familiar.

"Hey, dude! It's that chick!"

"Whoa, you mean the weird one from our class?"

"Yeah, man! I thought she'd be long gone by now." I saw them walk toward Naminé and I already had a very bad feeling about this.

"Yoooo, Witchy!" I saw Naminé tense up. _Not good._

"Aww, still not gonna talk to us?" _Those assholes better leave within the next second._ Naminé kept ignoring them. I saw them smirk in unison and I felt my anger bubbling inside of me.

"Hey, don't ignore us! Don't you know that's rude?" One of the guys, took her sketchbook and the other leaned in front of her.

"Why don't we do something fun? Just the three of us? I guarantee you'll have the time of your life." I could barely hear Naminé respond 'No, thank you' but I was already walking towards the table, hoping to prevent something bad happening. The guys were starting to get pushy and I could see fear in Namine's eyes.

"Hey." They turned around quickly. I finally recognized them. They've been picking on Naminé ever since I could remember.

"What do you want?" They obviously don't remember me.

"I want you to leave her alone."

"Tch, and who are you to tell us what to do?"

"Her cousin." Their faces changed to fear. _Now they remember me._

"Sh-shit, let's go man." The guy that had taken Namine's sketchbook dropped it in front of her and they both left in a hurry. I sighed, went to get our orders, and sat in front of Naminé, putting her coffee and food in front of her. She was clutching on to her sketchbook and she looked like she was about to cry.

"Hey…" I put my hand on hers reassuringly. "Are you ok?" She nodded her head slightly. "The two years after I graduated… how did you get by?"

"I… Well, I kinda didn't… I really just kept to myself as always, looking for places where there weren't many students around like the library." I had let go of her hand when she put her sketchbook down. "I was a little lonely… But I had Ventus to talk to when you couldn't." Her face lit up when she mentioned Ven's name. _She likes him._

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you as much as I would've wanted."

"It's fine, Riku."

"So, did you decide on a university to go to?" I wanted to change the topic already.

"Radiant University. I mean, I would've liked to go to Twilight University but…"

"It has to do with Ven, doesn't it?" Her cheeks flushed and she looked down, hiding her face behind her bangs. "Bingo." I smiled to her reaction.

"Y-you're misunderstanding! Th-there's nothing happening between the two of us!" Her phone started ringing, startling her. She looked at who it was and she blushed even more. "V-Ven… Hi.." I couldn't hear the other side of the call. "They all know?" She sighed. "Ok, I will. Take care. Bye."

"Who knows what? Is there something you haven't told me?" I was already asking questions before she even put away her phone. She fidgeted in her seat before she answered my question.

"I've... got a bit of news for you…" I waited for her to continue talking. "I'm, uh, I'm moving in with Ven…" I stared at her, trying to process what she had just told me. After gathering my thoughts, I composed myself and noticed Naminé looking dejected already.

"Nams, stop looking so sad. You don't even know what I'm going to say." She looked at me through her bangs. "You have my approval. But weren't you saying that you two weren't like that?"

"We really aren't! We're just going to live together!" I laughed as she pouted at me. "You're so mean!" I could tell she was trying hard not to smile but she gave in. "Now, let's get to the real reason why we're here… What happened?"

"Oh, right." I had forgotten why I was here in the first place. "Um well, I kinda got mad at Sora…"

"Why?" I looked away.

"I… I let my emotions get the better of me… It was something so trivial too. It just... It had to do with Sora's obvious crush on Kairi." I returned my gaze towards her. She looked like she wanted to say something but she held back. "I… I told him to stop lying to himself and I left…"

"I'm sure there's more? I mean, I know you. I know there was something else that caused you to call me." I stayed quiet but Naminé was patient with me.

"I went looking for Sora two days after I got mad at him… I called a friend, asking her if she knew where he was…. She said she saw him and Kairi leave on the train together… I freaked out. I screwed up big time, Nams. I pushed him away again… I just… broke."

"Look, Riku. Maybe it's not what it seems. You don't know what happened. You don't know why Sora left with Kairi. I think you need to give yourself more time before you can see Sora though. Would your professors let you stay until Thanksgiving?"

"I think so. I just need to let them know and get the assignments from them."

"Stay then. I'm sure Mom won't mind." She grinned at me and drank the rest of her coffee. I thought about it. The idea sounded appealing to me since I could spend time with Naminé and Aunt Serah.

"Alright, sure." We spent the rest of the day out and about, walking to our childhood park, and just the two of us spending time together. I felt nostalgic and didn't even think about everything that was going on.

We got home after dark. Aunt Serah was already there by then, waiting for us to arrive home for dinner. I wanted to ask why my mom had come here to talk to her and what was going on but it was honestly the last thing on my mind.

I felt like I was in high school again, without so many worries about my life.

I don't think these next few weeks were going to last long so I decided to enjoy every last bit of it.

* * *

 ** _I hope you guys liked this chapter. I took my time with it._**

 ** _Well, please review and leave your thoughts and/or constructive criticismy as well as ideas to help make my story a more enjoyable one that read._**


	6. Come Home

_**New chapter!**_

 _ **Enjoy~~**_

 _ **DISCLAIMER: All Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy and The World Ends With You content do not belong to me. Neither does the lovely Ray~**_

* * *

 _Sora_

It's been weeks since Riku and I last spoke. In fact, Thanksgiving was right around the corner and I was actually spending my time trying to pass my classes. I felt a little lost though. Without Riku around, it made me realize just how much I relied on him for almost everything. I felt it was time for me to prove just what I could do on my own.

When I returned to Twilight Town a few weeks ago, I was fully determined to make things right, to clear any misunderstandings between the both of us. It took me two days to actually find out that Riku wasn't around.

I was in my living room, wrapped up in blankets and warm clothes, trying to concentrate on my homework but I was spacing out. I didn't even realize my brother in front of me, trying to get my attention.

"Sora!" I felt him punch my arm.

"Huh? What? Oh hi, Roxas." I focused on my brother's face, gathering my thoughts and returning to reality. "Wait, when'd you get here?"

"Just now." He sighed and looked around the room. "Where's the hell am I? You sure this is your apartment?" I nodded in response.

"Why?"

"Cuz it's actually clean for once. Are you ok?" I softly bit on the end of my pencil, thinking of what to say.

"Yeah… Yeah, I am."

"You're lying." I pouted slightly.

"What the hell do you want me to tell you? I'm perfectly fine. Never been better."

"You're still moping over Riku, aren't you?"

"Dammit, Roxas. Drop the damn subject. I'm sure you can tell that I'm trying to study here." I looked down to the sheet in front of me.

"Last I checked, exams are over and that," Roxas pointed at the piece of paper in front of me, "does not look like a study guide of some sort."

"Roxas, why are you here?" I put my pencil down and pulled my legs to my chest, warming myself up.

"Mom called me and told me that you weren't answering your phone. I mean, it's not a big surprise you never answer but, it's Mom and you always call back if you missed it."

"I haven't touched my phone in a while." I looked away.

"Sora, whatever the hell is your problem, snap out of it. You can't just decide to ignore everyone all of a sudden."

"But I'm no-"

"I'm not done talking." I stayed quiet, waiting somewhat patiently for Roxas to continue. "I know it has to do with Riku not being here. But that's not what I wanted to talk about at all to be honest. Mom wanted to know if we were going to the Islands for Thanksgiving."

"We always go though? Why did she ask?"

"Because she just wants to be sure about things, dumbass."

"Oh shut up, Rox-ass."

"I told you never to say that." I simply stuck my tongue out at him. I saw him pinch the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "Call Mom, for both of our sakes." And we're leaving later today so go pack up now."

"What, why today?"

"Because Thanksgiving is tomorrow." I stared at him. "You're kidding me. You actually forgot it was tomorrow?" I continued to stare at him. "Right, ok, I'm going now. I'll be back in two hours. Be ready by then. PLEASE."

I saw him shut the front door behind him yet I was still staring in the same place. _Thanksgiving is tomorrow._ "Maybe I'll see Riku!" I hurriedly grabbed my suitcase, picked out a couple of shirts, packed my warmest pajamas because I knew the Islands were cold this time of year, and threw in my laptop. Before doing anything else, I finally turned on my phone only to be greeted to so many notifications.

I looked through them all, clearing out the ones I didn't find interesting or important. I kept searching for his name, hoping that he called or texted me or did something to try and contact me. Nothing.

I sighed as I selected Mom's number the dial and waited for her to answer. It was the first I needed to do before anything else actually.

" _Sora?!"_

"Hey ma."

" _Oh my god, thank goodness you're ok! Why weren't you answering your phone?!"_

"I… had it off for a while, sorry bout that…"

" _Is everything ok sweetie?"_

"Yeah, just a little tired right now. Roxas came by. We're leaving for the Islands later today so we may arrive a little late."

" _Don't worry. I know you two will be safe. Alright, I gotta get things ready so I have to go. See you soon!"_

"Alright, bye ma." She had already hung up. _Wow, ok._ Now that that was out of the way, I finished up checking the rest of my messages. I noticed that Olette had sent me a text a few days ago. I checked to see what she wanted.

- _Heya, I noticed you've been wayyyyyy out of character recently. Especially after telling you that you know who wasn't in town.. Hayner, Pence and I wanted to know if you'd like to hang out soon? Please reply soon.-_ I read it and read it again. I noticed I had time to spare so I replied.

- _Hey! Sorry for such a late reply. I didn't have my phone on. Anyways, are you guys free right now? I'd like to hang out before going to the Islands for Thanksgiving._ \- Not even a minute passed before I got a reply.

- _Sure! Let me confirm with the other two first tho._ \- Several minutes passed until I felt my phone vibrate. - _Lets meet up at the clock tower!_ \- I put my phone away as soon as I read the text and got my sweater on my way out.

Despite the fact that I was in Twilight Town, it was still pretty cold outside. The cool breeze actually caught me off guard. I shivered as I put on my sweater, walking towards the train station. I practically lived right next door, so it wasn't that long of a walk, giving me more time to spend with my friends.

I reached the top of the clock tower and saw them sitting there, eating the famous sea-salt ice cream. "Hey guys."

"Ah, Sora! Glad you're here!" Hayner leaned back to wave hello. Pence looked at me, acknowledged that I had arrived with a smile, and took a small bite of the ice cream. Olette actually stood up and gave me a hug.

"I'm glad you actually came."

"I had plenty of time to spare so of course I did!" I sat down next to Olette. Hayner took out another ice cream and passed it down to me. "You guys have plans for tomorrow?"

"We're all gonna be with our families. That's about it to be honest." I hummed in response as I nibbled on my ice cream. "I heard you're going back to the Islands though. You and Roxas."

"Ah, yeah. We're leaving today. Haven't been home for a very long time."

"Sora, didn't you visit during summer vacation?"

"That's a long time already!" Pence was the first to laugh, then the others followed, including me. I looked at the horizon. Twilight Town was known for its very beautiful sunsets, but even now that it was midday, the sky was always beautiful to look at. I began to think about Riku again, wishing that I could be by his side and enjoy such gorgeous sights together.

The time passed by rather quickly. The four of us enjoyed each other's company and the pointless chit-chat we had. Unfortunately, the time for me to go had arrived. I said goodbye but Olette came after me right before I left for good.

"Hey, I didn't get to talk about Riku."

"What about him."

"Do you know where he is?" I shook my head. "He went to Palumpolum. Something happened between the two of you, didn't it?"

"Yeah, kinda…" Olette looked worried.

"Are you really gonna be ok?"

"Yeah, yeah I am." She pulled me into a hug.

"I hope you two make up or something. Not having you two together kinda throws everyone off." I felt my cheeks burn slightly. "Well, anyways, enjoy your Thanksgiving!" That was all she said before walking back to the other two.

Even though I lived nearby, I somehow managed to get to my place late. When I entered, Roxas was already inside waiting for me. He glared at me causing me to jump a little.

"You're late."

"Sorry, I wanted to spend time with Hayner and them."

"Ugh whatever, just get your things and let's go." He stood up, grabbing his backpack and walked to the door as I went into my room to get my suitcase. I locked my door on the way out, after making sure that I had everything I needed and I hadn't left anything on. Roxas was already outside the apartment complex, waiting for me impatiently. "Hurry up, dammit. We're gonna miss the train. Tell Mom were on our way too."

"Can't you tell her? You've got a phone!"

"You're her favorite."

"So am not. The hell, Roxas?" He stayed quiet and walked inside the station. I followed him as I heard the train was being announced to leave. I actually ran to the train, nearly missing it. There weren't many people on the train yet, considering it was the day before Thanksgiving. I fell asleep soon after we departed.

After 3 hours, we were arriving at New Bodhum to get on a boat to the Islands. Roxas nudged me off his shoulder, waking me up in the process. I looked outside and realized it was starting to get dark. We got off and I was very glad I had brought more than just my sweater because it was starting to get a lot colder. I looked to Roxas and I saw him shivering.

We transferred onto the boat quickly and soon left shore. I sent a text to Mom, letting her know that we were on the boat now and that we would be arriving in 2 hours. I looked over at Roxas again and saw him texting someone. I wanted to ask who it was but I noticed he had a faint smile and I decided to just let him be.

"Oh, Axel said that he and the other two will be arriving late but that Ven, Ray and Kai are already at the Islands." _So it was Axel he was talking to._

"Really? Does he know if Riku will be there?"

"I dunno, I didn't ask. I doubt it though." I sighed. "Just admit you miss him, you idiot. I don't want you moping around the entire time we're here."

"I never said that I don't!"

"Then do something about it! Things just aren't the same when the two of you aren't together. Why don't you call him?"

"Because he won't answer…"

"Don't fucking given up then! Text him! Let him know that you actually want to talk to him! That you want him in your life! Or else it's gonna be the same as five years ago!" The thoughts of what had happened back then scared me. I didn't want to lose Riku for good this time. I stayed quiet, thinking about what my own brother had told me. We didn't really have that close of a relationship but when it really mattered, I could notice he really cared. I took out my phone again, looked for his name and dialed it. There was still no answer so I sent him a text.

- _Hey, I really want to talk to you. I… I miss you… so please answer back soon…_ -

I put my phone away and noticed Roxas was a little fidgety. "What's wrong?" I could tell I startled him a bit.

"Ah.. nothing I just… Ima go to the bathroom. Be right back!"

"Ok?" I saw him walk away and right before he was completely out of sight, I saw him on his phone. _I wonder if there's something going on between him and Axel…_

We finally arrived to our hometown. It was nostalgic, to say the least. Roxas and I made sure we didn't leave anything behind and when we walked off, we saw our dad waiting for us.

"Hi Dad."

"Mom sent me to get you. Glad you're both here safe. Come on, I'm sure you two are tired." The Islands weren't very modern and kept it's traditions very close to heart so there really weren't many cars or vehicles around. But since Dad was military, he owned a car _and_ a motorcycle. I was a little disappointed that he had brought the car, but as much as I love riding the motorcycle with him, it was a better choice.

We lived farther inland, a little more isolated from everyone else, but it was calm being there. I saw our house with the lights on and it brought back my childhood memories. As soon as Dad parked the car, I ran out and into the house. "Mom! I'm home!" I saw her come out of the kitchen and ran towards me to hug me.

"Sora! I'm so glad you're home safe and sound! Is Roxas here?"

"Goddamn it, Sora! Don't just run off like that! Go get your suitcase!" I looked back and grinned. Mom let go of me and I got my things from the car. I went straight upstairs to my old room and saw Ven peek out of his and Roxas' room in front of mine.

"Ah, you're here already. Is.. is Roxas here too?" I nodded. "Ah, ok, good. I'm glad." I was really tired. I actually felt like I could've just passed out as soon as I laid down on my bed. I was almost tempted to but I heard my mom call for me. I went downstairs and into the kitchen to see what she wanted.

"I know you're tired but I just want to tell you that I want you up early tomorrow to help me. I'm just leaving things ready right now. Go ahead and get some rest. We can catch up later." She gave me a smile and a good night kiss before returning to what she was doing. I looked for my dad to tell him goodnight and I found him in the garage working on something for his motorcycle.

"Hey, Dad."

"Oh, Sora? What is it?"

"I just wanted to say good night."

"Ah.. Ok, good night then." I was about to go back into the house before my dad stopped me. "Oh, Mom wants you to help her tomorrow."

"Yeah, she told me." With that, I walked away. I got to my room and I could hear my brothers talking on the other side of their door. I shut mine, not wanting to butt into something that probably didn't concern me. _As long as they don't fight like before, I think everything will be ok._

The next day I woke up to the smell of food. I looked at my alarm to make sure I hadn't overslept. _It's barely 8 in the morning. Good, I'm still on time._ I went downstairs and poked my head into the kitchen to see what Mom had done and what she needed help with but with the delicious smell of food, I was reminded that I hadn't eaten since yesterday morning. I felt my stomach rumble and I walked into the kitchen.

"Mornin' ma. Is there something to eat?"

"Ah, you're up! There's cereal for now. I know it's not really much but I'm kinda busy with the kitchen. Your brothers aren't up yet, are they."

"Nope. I don't even know if the went to sleep early either."

"That's fine. This shouldn't take so long anyways. I just wished Vanitas would've gotten here earlier to help…"

"Don't worry ma. The important thing is that he's gonna be here. Besides he can help after we're done." My mom chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. So, how've you been? How's uni life treating you? I just hope you're not doing bad with your grades."

"My grades are just fine, mom. And it's been pretty good. Completely different to what I'm used to."

"Ahh that's good. How about Riku? You two still talk right?" I froze for a moment. _Why. Just why._

"Uh yeah, yeah we still talk.." _I shouldn't lie to my mom…_

"Really? Interesting… I heard something different from Ven." _Knew it. Dammit!_

"What did he tell you?"

"He told me about the week you spent in Radiant Garden. What's going on?"

"I… Riku got mad at me over a misunderstanding. I was going to apologize and clear things up but I haven't seen him since and he won't answer my calls. So I'm just waiting patiently until I see him again.."

"Hm.. ok. Well whatever happened, I hope everything goes well." I sat at the breakfast bar, looking at what my mom was going and eating my cereal. I washed the bowl as soon as I finished, giving my mom the space she needed.

"So, what do you want me to do?"

"Help me prepare the turkey please. You've seen me do it enough times, I think you can do it too, right?"

"Uh, yeah, sure. I may have to ask about what to do sometimes though."

"That's fine sweetie." Time passed by rather quickly. As I was focusing on just the turkey, Mom was cooking all the side dishes and even making pumpkin pie for dessert. Around the time I had put the turkey in the oven, the doorbell rang. "Cloud! Could you please get that?" Dad appeared from out of the garage and checked who it was.

"Oh, hey Zack. Everyone's here then?"

"Hi Dad!" That was Vanitas and I could hear him running upstairs. The house started to feel a little more lively with more people. Since I had just finished up, I turned to mom to ask if I could go.

"Yes, you can. You helped enough. Besides, Aerith is gonna help me now. Go." I went into the living room to find Vanitas and Scarlet sitting together with Roxas and Axel next to them. Ray and Kai were snuggling together on the loveseat and Ven was sitting on the floor. I joined him to keep him some company. We spent hours watching movies and even playing video games.

"Kids! The turkey's done! Help set up the table!" No one got up. "Ok, fine. Vanitas, Scarlet, and Axel, come over here!" All three of the groaned as they stood up and went straight to the dining room. They finished setting up the table fairly quickly and dinner was finally ready. We sat down and each said what we were thankful for, with me being the last one.

"I'm just thankful for all my friends who have been with me and supported me all these years and for my family as well. Without you guys, well I dunno how I would still be the same person that I am today." We were all about to dig in until I started hearing my phone ring from the living room. I quickly got to it, hoping that it was him that was calling me. I checked the caller ID and answered as fast as possible.

"Riku?!"

"H-hey Sora. I read your text. What… what did you want to talk about?"

"I… I kinda want to talk to you in person to be honest. I just… I've been waiting for you for so long. And… and the fight for you is all I've ever known so just… please come home…"

* * *

 ** _So thoughts? IT'S THANKSGIVING BTW! HOPE YOU HAD A GREAT DAY TODAY!_**

 ** _I really wanted to do something like this so I hope you liked it._**

 ** _Please please please review and give me your thoughts on this story so far. I'd love to hear them :)_**

 ** _And thank you to everyone who's read and reviewed this story. I'm so happy you are!_**

 ** _Till next time!_**


	7. Lessons in Love

_**NEW CHAPTER! WOO!**_

 _ **ENJOY!**_

 _ **DISCLAIMER: All Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy and The World Ends With You content do not belong to me. Neither does the lovely Rayne~**_

* * *

Riku

I stared at the mirror in my bathroom, frozen in place as my brain finally acknowledged what happened. It was fairly early in the morning and I was finally back at my apartment in Twilight Town. But, it's like I never left. I decided to return from home the Saturday after Thanksgiving after a very awkward conversation with my family. Especially after they heard the phone call I had gotten that same day.

' _Please come home…'_

I felt a rush come over me as I remembered those words. I tried desperately to understand what "home" meant to Sora in that moment, but I just couldn't.

Sora and I decided on meeting up at WildKat, a café that was located nearby the university but that was at midday. Unfortunately, my nerves had made me lose sleep _again_. I ended up getting ready only to fall asleep as soon as I laid down for a bit on my bed. I woke up realizing that I was going to be late.

There was no point in trying to hurry up. Besides, it wasn't like Sora could say anything about it since he has that habit of being late to everything. Still, some part of me started to panic and I ended up rushing out of my place.

As soon as I saw the café, I could see those familiar chocolate spikes by the window. It's been over a month since I last saw him and yet, it feels like it was only yesterday. I couldn't make myself move from where I was standing. While frozen in place, I saw him turn around, making me quickly hide behind a mailbox that was close by. I stared at him, analyzing what he was doing, how he was acting. I felt ridiculous doing this but I couldn't really help it.

I was hopelessly in love with my best friend.

So much that I was afraid of rejection.

I wanted to walk away, just turn and leave. I wanted to run away again but I felt a push inside of me that just wouldn't let me go. Sometimes, I think it was better just pretending I was a fool. A fool in love. I sighed, determined to ignore my impulses and just get this over with, hoping I wasn't going to regret it. That was when someone pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Yo, Riku!" I looked up to see my blond haired classmate with his skateboard in hand.

"Beat?"

"Whatchu doin' hiding behind the mailbox, man?" I struggled to explain so I just went with the first thing that came to mind.

"I-I'm not doing anything in particular!" I stood up and straightened my clothes, trying to hide my slight embarrassment for being caught by a classmate.

"You sure? Cause it didn't look like nothin'." Beat crossed his arms and looked concerned. "I haven't seen you in a while! Kinda missed having ya around." He rubbed the back of his head while looking away. "Wanna hang out or somethin'? Unless you got plans then that's fine."

"Ah, I'm sorry… I actually do have plans right now…" I put my hands in my sweater's pockets. "But maybe some other day?" I saw him nod in response. "Cool! Well, I gotta go now. It was nice seeing you again after so long." I gave him a smile.

"I gotta agree!" He laughed in response. "Well, see ya tomorrow then?"

"Definitely."

"Awesome! See ya!" He waved goodbye before leaving on his skateboard. I looked over to the café again, setting my sight on Sora, who was sipping away at his drink. I felt like I shouldn't keep him waiting much longer. However, my mind was a frenzy. _What could I say for you to feel what's inside of me?_

I walked into the café, the bell at the front door announcing my entrance and Mr. H welcoming me. I saw Sora immediately turn around to look at me. Our eyes met and, for a moment, I saw something different in those familiar blue eyes. I walked to the table he was sitting at and sat straight across from him.

"Riku…" I could barely hear his voice. I wanted to say something but silence had taken me. I just sat there with my mouth slightly open but said nothing. I hadn't noticed my tears forming until I started feeling the wetness on my cheeks. I hid my face as quickly as I could, trying to compose myself as I felt a hand resting on my shoulder comfortingly. I looked up only slightly to see that Sora was also crying but he still maintained his smile. "I missed you, Riku…" It was then I fully realized that the time we spent apart was not only difficult for me, but for him as well.

"I-I missed you too. I'm so sorry for putting you through this. F-for…" I couldn't find the right words to say and it was starting to frustrated me.

"I know, Riku. I know. It's the reason why we're here now. There's things I want to clear up and I'm sure you do too…?" He waited patiently for me to speak up and, honestly, it was just what I needed. I let out a long sigh.

"First of all, I'm sorry for getting mad at you."

"Could… could you at least tell me why?"

"I was about to. It's just annoyed me a lot seeing you pay more attention to Kairi…" I chuckled at my childish reason.

"Um, Riku? About that…" _Oh no… Oh no no no no no…_ I waited for his next words, waited for my entire world to crumble. "I should've told you this sooner but… back in high school… Kairi and I actually dated for a while…." _What_. "Um.. yeah.. it was a little before we started high school and it only lasted for a few months…" _I must be dreaming._

"H-hey come this the first time I'm hearing about this?"

"I just didn't think it was that important to tell you.. And I guess I was scared to too. Didn't know how it would've affected our friendship."

"Well now I feel dumb for what I said."

"About me to stop lying to myself?" I nodded. "Well, you were kinda right though. Took me a trip to Radiant Garden with Kairi to realize that."

"I found out about that through Olette." Sora laughed in response.

"Just like I found out you were in Palumpolum from her?" I shrugged and smiled.

"Wanna know something, just go to her."

"Hah! I know right? It's like she knows everything that's going on!" We were both trying to stifle our laughter as to not disturb anyone else in the café.

"And she probably doesn't even actively search for any of it, poor girl." Finally able to catch our breath, I continued. "So, how was your trip to Radiant Garden?"

"Forced and very last minute. But I guessed it helped seeing Van and Ven again." He picked up his drink and took a sip from it. He put it back down suddenly which startled me. "Oh! I've got lots of big news that I've been dying to tell someone!"

"What is it?" I leaned forward, concentrating on him and him alone.

"Well first of all, Kai and Ray are dating! And it looks like Ray lives with her too." _I feel like a moron now._ I had absolutely no reason to have felt insecure. I only wished I had known earlier. "Kai looks really happy so I'm glad.." He paused for a bit, looking a little regretful for only a moment. "Though… it does get awkward when you're third wheeling with them."

"I can only imagine."

"Dude, Axel had to save me from them 'cause it was just too much! I ended up crashing at Vani's place because of how awkward I felt!" I covered my mouth only slightly as I chuckled. "Oh oh! More surprises! This one has to do with Ven!"

"Is it that he and Naminé are going to start living together?"

"Oh, you know about it?"

"Yeah, Nams told me herself. I'm honestly happy for the both of them." I caught a glimpse of Sora smiling softly before looking elsewhere."

"Yeah, me too…" He looked back at me and grinned. "How bout your little vacation to Palumpolum?"

"Calming. I got to see my dad in person for the first time in years. Mom was there too for some reason." I stayed silent, thinking back to my trip home. "Now that I remember… I think I saw Kairi's uncle on the same train. I'm almost positive I did but I could be wrong.

"Her uncle? You mean Scarlet's dad?" I shuddered at the mention of the girl since her and I never got along too well. Nodding in response, I looked towards Sora's direction and saw him look concentrated. "That's… kinda strange though. What would he be doing there? You know, I do have to admit, Axel was acting a little strange while I was visiting."

"How so?"

"Almost like he was hiding something… Could be something completely unrelated though."

"What makes you say that?"

"Roxas. I think there's something going on between the two of them and they're trying to hide it."

"I thought Roxas was straight though. Didn't he date a girl in high school?"

"You mean Xion?" I nodded. "They broke up their last year of high school and she just disappeared. Haven't seen her since." I leaned down back on my seat, thinking about what could be going on.

"You know, how bout we just drop the conversation until we know for sure what's happening."

"Mmm yeah, you're right." I looked at him for a moment and an idea popped into my head.

"Hey! Let's go for a walk. I kinda want to just want to take in the town's sights again."

"Where to?"

"Anywhere."

"Hm… We could go to Sunset Terrace for a bit… I kinda just wanted to stay indoors to be honest but being outside won't hurt me."

"How bout we go to my place afterwards then?"

"Wait, what, really?!"

"Yeah…?" I was legitimately confused before Sora continued.

"I've… just never been to your place. And you always hid the kind of info, even from me…" I felt guilt tug at my heart. He was my best friend and I managed to exclude him from certain aspects of my current life.

"I'm.. well, I'm sorry for that. I'll make it up to you. You can go to my house at any time and I'll even give you a key for when I'm not there. How was does that sound?" Sora nodded excitedly, his eyes shining as he looked at me and only at me. There are times I felt like my feelings towards him could be reciprocated but I was probably just over thinking it.

We left the café, walking next to each other and enjoying each other's company. We really didn't talk much but the silence felt natural and calming. To our surprise, there was quite a lot of people around Sunset Terrace, so we ended up not staying for long.

Our way back to my place was also quiet but I could see Sora taking in his surroundings. _He wants to remember where I live…_ I felt my heart flutter. I dared glance at him only once, causing my cheeks to flush slightly. He looked genuinely happy and that, in turn, made me fall for him even more. Impulse drove me in the moments after.

I grabbed his arm and pulled him into a tight embrace. I felt him tense up for only a few seconds before relaxing his body against me. He had the lingering scent of sea-salt and sand, probably because he had just come back from the Islands. I cherished it, wished we could just stay like this forever.

"Riku…" Sora's voice pulled me from my thoughts.

"Yeah?" I tried pulling away but Sora now had his arms around me and would not let me go.

"You never do this…"

"If you want I could stop." His grip on me tightened and I felt him shake his head slightly.

"If want you to do this more…" I covered part of my face with one hand, trying to hide the now apparent blush on my cheeks. I stayed quiet for a moment until finally giving Sora an answer.

"Alright, if you're ok with it."

* * *

 ** _FINALLY. GODDAMN._**

 ** _I'll have to thank_** _Arisa **from** Ladies of Literature **for helping me with this chapter and for getting my ass in gear lmao**_

 ** _And thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I love you lots!_**

 ** _Please leave a review for this one as well!_**


	8. Stay By Me

_**HAPPY NEW YEAR!**_

 _ **I'M HERE WITH A NEW UPDATE! ENJOY~**_

 _ **DISCLAIMER: All Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy and The World Ends With You content do not belong to me.**_

* * *

 _Sora_

It was a little more than a week before Christmas, meaning the last of my finals were coming up. My most important one was a portfolio I had to present for my graphic design class, which I had spent day and night working on. Even though I had more than enough time to study while Riku was away almost two months ago, it seemed that everything I had worked so hard to learn was now forgotten.

Especially now that I spent the majority of my time lounging around in Riku's apartment.

"Ugh, why didn't I do this earlier?" I mumbled, as I rubbed my stinging eyes from staring at my laptop for so long. "Ah, right, 'cause I'm such an idiot who loves to leave things till the very last minute." I leaned back on my chair, staring at my ceiling. I tried remembering when was the last time I had slept but I kept drawing a blank. I felt my stomach continuously rumbling so I decided to take a break and rest for a bit before finishing off whatever I had left.

I looked inside my fridge only to be met with its emptiness. _Absolutely fantastic._ I turned to look at his clock and noticed it was already two in the morning. _I could go over to Riku's place and see what he has…._ But at the same time, I didn't want go this late at night. In the end, my hunger won and I was on my way to his place.

I tried to be quiet, not wanting to wake him as I entered his apartment. It was quiet and all the lights where off except the ones in his room. His door was closed, however, so I managed my way to the kitchen. He didn't have much either but it was a lot more manageable than me. I tried making myself a sandwich but I started hearing nose from outside the kitchen. I turned to see that Riku was standing there in a shirt and his boxers with his arms crossed. _Ah crap._

"Why are you here at this hour?" _Busted…_

"I was hungry and I had nothing to eat so I kinda just… thought it'd be ok?"

"Sora, I gave you the key to come over during the day. Not at three in the morning…" He sighed.

"I'm sorry…"

"I guess it's fine. Should've known this was gonna happen sooner or later." I saw him close the distance between us and I tensed a little. "What were you going to make then?"

"Ah s-sandwich…" I tried calming my nerves, I couldn't just let him figure out something was bothering me, much less tell him _what_ exactly was bothering me. _He's too close to me oh my god._ My lack of sleep has spiraled me down a place I did not want to go. "Why… why are you even up right now?"

"You woke me up. More specifically, the noise you were making." I knew that wasn't completely true.

"You looked like you've been awake for a while. That and I managed to see your lights on too." Riku stood quiet before starting to walk away.

"Just hurry up and don't make too much of a mess, please. I'm going back to bed." I heard him mumble a good night before disappearing into the hallway. I breathed out a sigh of relief. I honestly don't know what got into me right now. Ever since that hug he gave me weeks ago, I've been more self conscious being around him.

I got home a little after four and got straight back to work on my portfolio.

~•~

The day I presented my portfolio, I felt relief wash over me. Winter break was finally here and the first thing I did the rest of that day was recover all my lost sleep. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to take all the stress I had piled up these past days.

I wasn't even hungry when I woke up. I quickly looked outside my window to see that it had snowed. _Perfect._ I grabbed my pair of skates after getting ready to go outside. I grabbed an extra pair, just in case, right before leaving my apartment.

There was no one outside, no one to see me sneak off into the most secluded place in the entire town. I took my time as I walked through the empty white streets. I twirled around, enjoying the clear morning sky and the snow around me. I felt like a child seeing the snow for the first time.

I reached the only entrance to the woods which was a medium sized hole on the wall. The woods themselves weren't really much, just a way to get to the abandoned mansion located there. The gates had a hug lock on them but getting in wasn't really that hard. I threw both pairs of skates over the gates and simply squeezed through the opening between them.

This place really was abandoned. No one dared come here because of its eerie look. I didn't mind it though since it reminded me a lot of the secret place Riku and I found back in the islands all those years ago. This mansion was almost like my own personal playground since I got here. I only wish I could come here more often. _And with Riku too…_

There was a pond in the mansion's backyard which was sure to be frozen over. The perfect size for skating as much as I want. This was the only way how I could possibly just let all my stress go. My mind went blank and my body flowed when I was on the ice and it felt satisfying.

* * *

 _Riku_

I couldn't stop thinking about that night that Sora came over to my apartment in the middle of the night. He stood there like it was the most natural thing but at the same time, something felt off. It made me curious but I couldn't stay there for too long.

My own sense of reason wouldn't let me.

Even when my heart begged me to.

I had been deprived of sleep for the past few days since I was trying to catch up on all my classes. It wasn't an easy feat but certainly a doable one. I really hadn't spent much time with Sora either since he was working hard on his portfolio literally all day and night.

Finally, winter break had started, though it really didn't feel much like it. I felt my exhaustion catching up to me that as soon as I laid down on my bed, making me pass out.

I woke up the next day around noon. I looked outside and saw the entire town covered in snow. The streets weren't really busy for this time of day. It has been a while since I've seen snow so I decided to take advantage of this. I put on my black coat and my snow boots, all while trying to call Sora. I attempted several times to get through to him but it kept sending me to his voicemail. I tried my best to not dwell much on it, thinking instead of where he could possibly be. I left my place, making sure to lock it, and made my way into town. The sky was clear and even if the snow had begun to slowly melt, there was enough to still enjoy.

As I walked by, I could see children playing in the snow, throwing snowballs and making snowmen, children being children. It reminded me of the first time Sora and I saw snow at the Islands. That was the time we both learned how to skate with our fair share of stumbles and falls. I smiled thinking about those simpler times.

Subconsciously or not, I ended up in front of a hole on a wall which led to the abandoned mansion. I had a feeling I would find Sora here since it was so similar to the secret place back on the islands. A secret place only we shared.

I walked through the silent woods, enjoying the silence it offered. I reached the gates and slipped through them, listening for any signs that Sora was here. I really wasn't very familiar with the place but I did know about its few secrets. I walked to the backyard and sure enough, I found Sora skating on the frozen pond. I stood in the distance and watched him as he moved with such grace, almost as if dancing on the ice. It was amazing how much he practiced throughout the years when all I could do was not fall. I walked closer, letting my presence be known, and sat nearby since I hadn't brought any skates.

That's when I noticed an extra pair of skates by Sora's belongings.

I grabbed them and put them on, stumbling a bit as I tried to stand. Ironic enough, the moment I took a step, I fell flat on my ass making Sora completely burst out laughing.

"Oh my god Riku! When was the last time you skated!?"

"It's been a while, ok?" I tried to hide my embarrassment and stood, making sure I was balanced enough to stay up this time. I moved onto the ice yet I felt like a baby walking for the first time. _Tch…_ I managed to make my way to Sora, who had stood in one place as he waited for me. I almost fell again but I felt Sora grab me and hold me up.

"Wow, Riku. You really forgot how to skate, huh?"

"Y-yeah, I guess. Good thing you're here to help though." I held on to Sora's arm as I skated alongside him, letting my body remember how to skate. I finally let go of him and continued going straight before turning around abruptly. Sora had followed me so he almost bumped into me when I stopped in front of him suddenly.

"Jeez, Riku. Are you trying to kill the both of us?" He punched me lightly on my side. I, in turn, ruffled his hair. I noticed a tinge of red appear on his cheeks but he took me by the hand and pulled me with him to the middle of the lake, making me twirl on the way.

I looked at him, both of us smiling as we danced together. A moment for only the both of us to share.

I was caught up in the moment when I suddenly felt the urge to pull him closer as we spun together, to move my hand and caress his cheek, to kiss him. An urge I was about to act upon.

Until I felt the ice below us crack.

I pushed Sora away out of instinct, looking at the ice below me become weaker. Sora looked at me with fear in his eyes and I was sure I had that same fear plastered across my face. If this was my last moments with him, I needed to tell him how I felt.

"Sora, I-" Fate had a different plan. The ice gave way before I could even tell him those simpler words. Everything around me felt numb as I sunk into the icy water. Everything went black, only hearing my name being called out.

 _I'm sorry, Sora. I'm so sorry._

* * *

 ** _That ending tho hehe I couldn't help it sorry._**

 ** _This was a short update but I needed to get this out there._**

 ** _I recently watched Yuri On Ice so I had to do some sort of a skating chapter lmao_**

 ** _Hope you guys like the chapter! And thank you to anyone who reviewed this!_**

 ** _Please leave review. Your thoughts are greatly appreciated~_**


	9. Magic

_**Ok so, first of all hi. Second of all I have an important announcement.**_

 ** _I WILL END THIS STORY VERY SOON. So basically, the next chapter will be the last one. This was something I've been debating about for quite a while and with some help from my bestie, I was able to make a decision. I'm not done with this universe quite yet though, as I do have a lot more planned but for now, I'm want to focus on finishing this soon so I can move on to what should be my main story for this universe that I named Taking Off. If you feel I left loose ends, please remember I'm not completely done with this universe._**

 ** _Now, please enjoy~_**

 ** _DISCLAIMER: All Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, and The World Ends With You content do not belong to me._**

* * *

 _Sora_

"RIKU! RIKU PLEASE!"

This couldn't be happening. My best friend was dying in front of me and I didn't know what to do. I had dragged him to safety, looking around to see what I could use to warm him up. I checked if he was breathing and that's when the panic really started to set in.

I quickly dialed for an ambulance, hoping, praying they would get here in time. I tried to calm myself down.

"Riku, please…!" CPR was all I could do right now, yet I was scared I would hurt him instead of help since I didn't know what I was doing. _I should've really paid attention during health class dammit._ I tried it anyways, desperate and crying. It took me several tries until Riku finally coughed out water. I let my tears fall, relieved that he was still alive. Still, he was slipping in and out of consciousness. I somehow managed to make him stand, though I had to hold him up, and we made our way back into town.

I waited patiently at the hospital, waited to hear how he was doing. After the initial shock died down, I realized I had kissed Riku in an attempt to save him. It literally had no other meaning than to save his life. If that was the case then… _Why am I so self conscious about it?_ I started wondering how Riku would react about this entire situation.

I needed some music to calm down my nerves and fortunately, I had brought my earphones. I left one ear free so that I could listen around me and be alert but the other just played as much music as I needed.

"…I call it magic when I'm with you…"

I felt a presence next to me so I looked up to find a doctor standing there.

"Are you Sora?"

"Yes! How is he? Is he ok?" I stood up so quickly that I startled the doctor for a moment.

"Mr. Farron should be ok. A little while longer and he wouldn't be here right now. You did good getting him here quickly." I stood there, relieved to hear the doctor's news, and felt my tears start to form. I held them back as best I could. "He's resting right now but you should be able to see him now. I imagine you'd like that?"

"Ah, y-yes, thank you."

"Alright, follow me then." We got on the elevator and went to the third floor. Riku's room was only a few doors away from the elevators. "Well, here we go. I'll leave you two alone." I saw the doctor leave and took a deep breath before stepping into the room.

The lights were dimmed out, letting only a bit of light in from the windows. Riku laid on the hospital bed, his face serene. I never really noticed his features until now and I couldn't help comparing them to my own. I stood next to him, brushing some of his platinum hair to the side and caressing his cheek in the process. I was surprised to feel just how soft his skin was.

I grabbed a chair and pulled it closer to the bed. I rested my head right next to his hand and interlaced mine with his. I quietly laughed bitterly, thinking it was funny how I could only do this when he's not aware of it. I moved closer to his hand and placed a chaste kiss on the back of it.

"Hey… can you hear me…?" Nothing happened. "… probably not…" I tightened my grip slightly, fighting back my tears. Somewhere, in the back of my mind, I was thinking the worse possible outcome. It frightened me to think that I would lose him forever. "... I don't want anybody else but you…" I couldn't hold back stop my tears again. "Please Riku, don't…" I choked on my words, trying so hard to get them out. "D-don't be g-gone… You're s-someone irreplaceable to.. to me." I looked up at his face. "Hey, you.. you remember that promise we made back then? Back when we were kids…" I let out a soft chuckle, "We knew nothing of traditions or of how life was. We were innocent. But we still made that promise." My vision grew blurry as I continued. "We… we said we'd always be there for each other.. n-no matter what happened. We even shared a Paopu fruit... making us almost married…" That memory was as vivid as a clear sky. We were just five and six years old. Riku climbed the tree and grabbed the fruit. He held it in his mouth the and offered to share it without a second thought. It was the summer Riku left the Islands.

That's when all this mess started, when everything became confusing and difficult.

I wiped my tears and smiled softly. "That promise is always going to be there. Like we said, no matter what happens." I felt a big weight lift off my chest as I let out everything that's been on my mind for so long. _I'm so in love with you, it hurts._

I didn't notice when I had fallen asleep but I felt someone shake me awake. It took me a few seconds to recognize it was a nurse.

"Visiting hours are almost over. Will you be staying the night?"

"Ah, y-yeah.." She smiled at me and stood straight.

"Alright. That's fine. I can bring you a blanket if you'd like." I nodded and she left the room. I looked at the clock and realized it was almost eight at night. There still had been no sign of Riku waking up. I stood up to stretch and took out my phone from my pocket to check if I had any missed calls or texts. Roxas had called me several times, along with Olette, Kairi, and Vanitas. Apparently news traveled fast and they wanted to know what was happening. I just sent them all a text saying things were ok and turned off my phone. I really didn't want to talk to anyone right now. The nurse returned with the blanket and I fell asleep on the chair again, hoping that I wouldn't have to wait for Riku to recover for too long.

* * *

 _ **So like I said in my a/n at the beginning, next chapter will be the last.**_

 _ **Feel free to leave a review, and constructive criticism is allowed. I wanna know what you guys think about my story.**_


	10. It Ends Tonight So Kiss Me

_**THIS IS IT. THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER OMG**_

 _ **I'VE NEVER ONCE FINISHED AN ACTUAL MULTI-CHAPTERED FANFIC SO I'M LIKE SUPER HAPPY AND PROUD RIGHT NOW.**_

 _ **ANYWAYS, ENJOY!**_

 _ **(More a/n at the end of the chapter)**_

 _ **DISCLAIMER: All Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy and The World Ends With You content do not belong to me.**_

* * *

 _Riku_

Darkness had surrounded me. I had no recollection of why I was here in the first place or where I was exactly. I only knew that no matter where I turned, everything was drenched in it without a single light in sight. _I'm dying._ I could hear voices in the distance, but they were too far away to make any sense of what they were saying or what was going on.

Time wasn't existing here, all my notions of it gone. For me, I just felt myself float in this everlasting darkness. Funny, I had been afraid of darkness swallowing my heart, afraid of letting all its negative energy consume me. Yet…

I hadn't felt this calm and relaxed in years.

Everything was quiet and still. It made me question why I was holding everything back if this would have been the result. It made me almost let go of everything I lived for.

Almost.

I heard voices again and then just one. It sounded so familiar but for some reason, I couldn't remember where I've heard it or who it belonged to. It did, however, make my heart hurt. I kept listening to this mysterious voice. It sounded like they were crying as they spoke but I didn't understand why. I started to become desperate, wanting to know who it was, but then silence took over again. I was left alone in the quiet stillness of this darkness and it made me feel uneasy.

I would keep hearing that same voice and sometimes it would sing softly, songs that I recognized and others I didn't. There were times when the voice went silent for a while and suddenly, just appear again. It was almost routine.

I wanted to wake up from this endless dream. I felt a need to do so. I needed to remember why I was here. I needed to remember something, someone who was important to me. I would have the memory at the tip of my tongue but it always faded away too soon. I waited patiently for it to return again.

Later on, however, when the voice returned, a sudden rush of memories came to me. Memories of myself with someone else, someone I knew since childhood. There was one memory that stuck out the most. We made a promise, even shared a paopu fruit. I could feel wetness on my cheeks but I couldn't wipe them, I could however feel someone else doing it for me.

I looked around in this dark place and I hadn't noticed that, little by little, it was getting brighter. I knew, I just knew, that I would be free from this prison of mine soon.

I tried to remember who it was I made a promise to, who it was that became my light. That's when it clicked. The person from my memories and the voice I heard where one and the same. I felt the urgency to get out, I was starting to get impatient. _What's their name!? I just need their name…!_

Sora.

Realization washed over me and my desperation vanished. I had remembered what happened and why I was here. I did nearly die. _But Sora must've saved me._ My last thoughts were of him, how could I have possibly forgotten someone so important to me?

The darkness began to lighten and before long, I saw white. I focused my vision and realized I was in a hospital room. _What day is it? How long have I been here?_

"…ora..!" I sat up quickly looking at my surroundings, looking for his chocolate colored spikes. "Sora…!?" My body felt weak as I tried to stand up but I was interrupted by a nurse that walked inside my room.

"No, no no no no no! You mustn't get up so suddenly, sir! Here, lay back down, please!"

"I need to see my friend! I can't stay here longer!"

"I understand but you just woke up from a coma! I can't have you stressing your body beyond what it can handle right now. Please." I laid back down on the bed. "Thank you. I'll inform the doctor and your friend that you're awake. Please, be patient." I watched as the nurse left.

A few minutes later, I heard someone running into my room and saw a flash of brown spikes before I was jumped on and hugged tightly.

"Sora?"

"I'm so glad you're finally awake!" He looked up at me and I could see tears starting to form. "I waited far too long for you to wake up. I-I… I almost thought you…weren't…."

"Ahem." I glanced over to who I imagine was the doctor. "It'd be best to give Riku some space. After all, he did just wake up and I'm sure he's very confused about everything right now." I saw him look at me, almost as if waiting for a response. I simply nodded. Sora reluctantly got off the bed and faced the doctor. I felt him hold my hand and tightened his grip on it. "Riku, do you remember what happened?"

"I… I remember skating on a frozen lake and… pushing Sora out of the way because the ice was about to crack open... but that's all."

"Sora saved your life and managed to bring you here quickly." I let out a relieved sigh. "You were supposed to leave in a matter of days but…"

"How… how long was I out for?"

"… a month and a half." _What_.

"Its.. it's true, Riku…"

"Doctor… could Sora and I talk in private for a moment?"

"Yes, of course. Also, Sora has been by your side every single day you were unconscious. If that isn't love, then I don't know what is." I felt my cheeks blush and didn't know what to say or do. I looked at Sora briefly and noticed a small tinge of red on his cheeks as well.

"Sora…" He turned slightly, not meeting my eyes. "… I'm really sorry…" It was my turn to look away. "I never meant to cause you trouble…"

"Riku, don't apologize. It was just a circumstance that happened. I'm just glad… you didn't last longer…"

"So is it true? What the doctor just said…?" He nodded slightly. "Did you go to class at all?"

"I… I was able to get out of it to stay here. I got the all the work though. You had some visitors during the month and a half you were… Well you know…"

"Hey…" I remembered we were holding hands and I ran my thumb across the back of his hand, trying to be comforting. "Its no use thinking about that now. You know… I, uh, I could hear you the entire time. Couldn't make out what you were saying though but it was comforting to hear your voice there. And at first.. I almost gave in to darkness." I locked my eyes on him. "You saved me and you were saving me the entire time. Thank you." He smiled at me softly.

"Well, what can I say? You're my best friend. There's no one else like you for me."

"Heh, true.."

~•~

"How's it like to be around people again?" Sora stood in front of me and grinned.

"Its great. I never thought I'd actually miss having people surround me." He laughed as he walked off in front of me.

"So, where to?"

"I don't know, going outside was your idea, dummy."

"Ice cream then! We can go to the clock tower too and just kinda hang out. We haven't really done that recently."

"Of course that's what you suggest. Alright, sounds good." I followed him to the ice cream shop and later to the clock tower. It had been a while since I've come here, ever since the time I ran away and ended up here, where I met Hayner, Pence, and Olette. It seems like so long ago now.

We sat down once we were at the top of the tower. It was almost dusk by now which meant more people were out in the streets but right here, right now… Well it seemed like the perfect scene and there wasn't anywhere that I would rather be than here.

"Um, Sora…"

"Yeh?" He was about to take a bite of his sea-salt ice cream.

"Theres… there's something I _have_ to tell you." He stayed silent, probably waiting for me to continue. "Back.. Back in high school… I, um… the reason I ran away was because I felt like I was just being a burden to Aunt Serah and Naminé. Thinking back on it now, it was a pretty stupid reason to run away but…. I was having trouble with some things about myself. I'm sure you were aware of how closed off I became, right?"

"Yeah…?"

"I just…" I sighed. "I should just be straightforward with you. I'm gay. High school is when I figured it out but I kinda… denied it… I had so many emotions whirling around inside me and it caused unnecessary tension back at home. I was… I was jealous of how much you paid more attention to Kairi, I noticed that you liked her and it… it hurt…" I laughed bitterly. "Am I even making any sense?"

"You are but… why were you jealous and hurt…?"

"I…" _It's now or never, don't turn away._ "I've been…in love with you…." I looked at him and saw his wide eyed expression. I waited for an answer, for him to push me away. Nothing. I felt my nervousness crawl on my skin. "I… I'm gonna go." I hurriedly stood up and was about to leave.

"Riku, wait!" Sora grabbed my arm and held me back. I could dare look at him. "Are you… are you serious?"

"…yes."

"Look at me dammit." He let go of me but I stood there like an idiot. "Just.. just look at me…" I turned around, my own body betraying my thoughts, and looked straight at him. He had tears in his eyes for some reason. I realized the sun was setting already which made Sora look far more prettier than it should have, considering the situation we're in right now. "Riku…"

"Its ok if you don't feel the s-"

"Riku, let me speak!" I froze. It wasn't often that Sora would yell at someone out of anger or frustration. "You don't even know what the hell I'm going to say!" He looked down and balled up his hands into fists. "Why do you make everything so goddamn hard…" I couldn't think of something to say. I didn't need to. "Riku, I… dammit, I'm in love with you too!"

… _what?_

I felt time slow for a moment. I must've been dreaming right now. How could I not have noticed this? "So.. we both…?"

"Looks like we do." Relief was all I felt and by the looks of it, Sora felt it too.

"Hey, you remember that promise we made long ago?"

"…when new shared the Paopu fruit?"

"Yeah, that one."

"What about it?"

"I guess it came true."

"You big dork. Just get over here and kiss me." I closed the distance between us, cupped his cheek, pulled him closer to me, and kissed him.

After an eternity of masking who I really was and how I really felt, after all the misunderstandings and the arguments, after all these years, I was finally able to open my heart to the one person that matters the most in my life.

I was finally able to be me again.

And I was finally able to be with the person I love.

* * *

 _ **AND THAT'S IT. THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT YOU GUYS HAVE GIVEN, ESPECIALLY** Arisa Kiryuu **.** **I LOVE YOU LOTS.**_

 ** _ALSO, PLEASE REMEMBER IT'S NOT THE END OF SORA AND RIKU IN THIS UNIVERSE. ALTHOUGH I AM SHIFTING TO A DIFFERENT PAIRING, PLEASE EXPECT ONESHOTS OF SEVERAL OF THE PAIRINGS I PORTRAYED IN THIS STORY AND THE ONES I'LL PORTRAY IN MY NEXT FANFIC._**

 ** _Please, leave your thoughts, and your criticism AS LONG AS IT'S CONTRUCTIVE._**

 ** _Love you all!_**


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